Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2013


Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (MD-4) issued the following statement after the House passed a package of six veterans-related bills that help care for and honor our service members, our veterans, and their families by providing critical resources and assistance to the nation’s veterans.

“One of the greatest responsibilities we have as Members of Congress is to ensure that our service members and veterans receive top-quality support at home and around the world.  I am proud to back today’s bipartisan measures that will improve benefits for our veterans, including over 450,000 in Maryland.  I hope we can build on today’s success and continue improving health, mental health, educational, and job-training benefits for all those who serve our country with honor.”

Below are brief descriptions of the bills.

Passed by Voice Vote:

H.R. 1405 would reduce the processing time for veterans appealing their disability rating decision by requiring an appeal form be supplied whenever the VA sends out a notice rejecting a veteran’s benefit.  Bill also reduces the VA’s annual bonus pool to $345 million through fiscal 2018, down from $400 million currently.
H.R. 1742, the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act, would exclude a disabled veteran’s service-related disability benefits and expenses related to in-home care from being considered when calculating income eligibility for Section 8 rental assistance and public housing programs — which would make more such veterans eligible for federal housing aid.
H.R. 2481, the Veterans Economic Opportunity Act, would create a new office within the VA to administer existing vocational, education and other assistance programs for veterans.  It also clarifies foreclosure and refinancing protections for veterans, extends certain homeless veterans reintegration programs until 2018, expands education benefits for certain survivors of deceased service members and protects the rights of active-duty members of the military in child custody cases when the service member is deployed.
H.R. 3304 would authorize and ask the President to award the Medal of Honor to certain veterans.

Votes Called for:

H.R. 2189 would create a commission to examine and make recommendations on ways to fix the disability claim backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Passed 404-1.
H.R. 2011, the Veterans Advisory Committee on Education Improvement Act, would extend the Veterans’ Advisory Committee on improving education and job training programs for veterans for two years and put post-9/11 veterans on the Committee.  Passed 404-2.
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